WAVE | WAVE2020

#WAVEofGiving

November 20, 2019 wave2020 Our Work

Donate on December 3, 2019!

Over the past three years, Giving Tuesday has become a very important part of WAVE’s annual fundraising efforts, and we want to continue to build upon our success.

Please donate to WAVE’s 2019 Giving Tuesday Campaign — #WAVEofGiving — to help fuel our fight against gun violence in Wisconsin in 2020.

Donate

Here is how you can help us…

Become a Giving Tuesday Ambassador for WAVE

We are looking for WAVE supporters who would be willing to be Giving Tuesday “ambassadors” for us. Our Giving Tuesday ambassadors have two responsibilities:

1. Pledging to donate to WAVE on December 3rd

2a. Sharing posts on social media between November 26th and December 3, encouraging others to join you in donating to WAVE on Giving Tuesday. You can use the tools below, including the graphics, for your posts. You can also write your own stories about how WAVE has impacted you.

2b. If you do not use social media, please tell us your stories about how WAVE has impacted you for us to share on our social media platforms.

Youth Ambassadors

Young people, you can make a huge impact on gun violence prevention even if you cannot afford to donate monetarily yet.

You can share posts on social media between November 26th and December 3, encouraging others to donate to WAVE on your behalf on Giving Tuesday. We will provide you with graphics and suggested language for your posts. You can also write your own stories about how WAVE has impacted you.

Please email me at jacey@waveedfund.org to let me know if you would like to help us out in this way.

Social Media Tools for Giving Tuesday Ambassadors

Create a Facebook Fundraiser

Use this link: https://www.facebook.com/fund/WaveEdFund/

Images

Feel free to use (copy/paste, drag/drop) the images below in your social media posts for Giving Tuesday.

Twitter, Facebook
Twitter, Email Header
Facebook Cover
#GivingTuesday
#MyGivingStory
#MyGivingStory

Text

The purpose of your social media post is to help us fundraise. A huge way to motivate others to give is to tell them why you are giving and how their donation can help create a safer Wisconsin.

#MyGivingStory

Use the hashtags, #MyGivingStory, #WAVEofGiving, and #GivingTuesday to share how and why you give back. Let others know about WAVE’s impact to inspire their generosity. Plus, if you upload your story to mygivingstory.givingtuesday.org between November 1st and December 3rd , you could win $10,000 to give to your nonprofit of choice (hopefully WAVE)! Share your giving story on social media and ask your friends to vote for your story on https://mygivingstory.givingtuesday.org!

Preventing Suicide Through Sensible Policy

August 28, 2019 wave2020 Our Work

Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPO) Save Lives

How does ERPO Work?

ERPO gives families and law enforcement officers a way to ask a judge to temporarily prohibit an at-risk person from purchasing or possessing a gun. ERPO is a non-criminal process that involves a court hearing and clearly defined due process protections.

How can ERPO help save lives?

ERPO is effective because guns present a uniquely lethal risk in cases of attempted suicide
- 90% of suicide attempts using a gun are fatal, compared to 5% of most common alternative methods (Azrael, Miller)
Suicidal acts are often impulsive and fleeting and, thus, preventing access to the most lethal means is crucial
Saving someone’s life in the near-term will likely save that person’s life in the long-term
- Just 10% of those who survive a suicide attempt go on to die from suicide later (Owens, et al)

How are suicide and gun violence related?

Every day 65 Americans commit suicide using a gun (CDC)
In 2017 nearly half (47%) of all suicide deaths in Wisconsin involved guns (CDC)
Over 75% of all gun deaths in Wisconsin are deaths due to suicide (Giffords Law Center)

Is suicide a unique problem in Wisconsin?

The suicide rate in Wisconsin was higher than the national average in 2017 (15.45 people vs 14 people per 100,000 people) (AFSP)
926 people in Wisconsin died from suicide in 2017 (AFSP)
Teen suicide in Wisconsin has almost doubled since 2007 (CDC)

Does ERPO violate our Constitutional Rights (2nd Amendment, Due Process)?

No. The Supreme Court ruled in D.C. vs Heller that the 2nd Amendment allows for firearm restrictions that are “presumptively lawful.” Moreover, ERPO follows due process through the court system by allowing a judge to make an informed decision to temporarily remove firearms from people posing an imminent threat.

Isn’t law enforcement already removing firearms from people posing a threat?

Sometimes; but municipalities have been sued for this because they do not have the legal backing that ERPO provides. Meanwhile, Chapter 51, which is sometimes invoked by law enforcement, is more complex than ERPO and is often inadequate for providing safety to someone who is suicidal.

Sources

The epidemiology of case fatality rates for suicide in the northeast.
Matthew J. Miller, Deborah Azrael, David Hemenway. 2004
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15159703

Fatal and non-fatal repetition of self-harm. Systematic review.
David Owens, Judith Horrocks, Allan House. 2002 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12204922

Suicide Statistics
American Society for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/

Fatal Injury Reports, National, Regional and State, 1981 – 2017
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate.html

Photo Credit: Illustration by Brian Stauffer for Rolling Stone

Suicide-Prevention-fact-sheet-Final PDF Version Download

2019 Youth Summer Internship

August 28, 2019 wave2020 Our Work

Woah! It has been quite a summer!

WAVE’s eight 2019 youth summer interns, aged 15 to 19, were very busy advocating for gun violence prevention in Wisconsin.

Throughout the summer, the interns cultivated strong friendships with one another and developed skills that they will continue to use throughout their lives.

Examples of What We Did

Performed street actions to demand commonsense gun policies

Held up signs supporting gun violence prevention reforms at Lake Michigan on July 3^rd, a day that attracts many people to the area for fireworks,
Protested (holding signs and chanting) outside Senator Ron Johnson’s Milwaukee office due to his dangerous voting history regarding gun violence prevention reforms, and
Led the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County on a street march in Madison with signs and chants.

Collected signatures and wrote a letter to demand policy change from lawmakers at the…

August Recess Rally,
Brewers Community Foundation kiosk at Miller Park,
Fondy Farmers Market, and
Milwaukee Public Market.

Empowered youth leaders through youth peace advocacy training at the…

All People’s Church Youth Music Activism Workshop,
Boys and Girls Club of Dane County,
Independence-First Youth Leadership Summit,
Oakland Cambridge Presbyterian Church, and
Peacemakers’ Day Camp.

Registered voters (especially in marginalized communities) at the…

All People’s Church Isaiah 55 Food Pantry,
Fondy Farmers Market,
Phongsavan Asian Market Health Fair,
Southeast Wisconsin YWCA,
WestCare Wisconsin E.A.T.S. Food Pantry, and
2019 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Convention and Exposition at the Wisconsin Center.

Collaborated and spread awareness with ally organizations, including…

All Peoples Church is a truly inclusive church that partners for justice and welcomes all people. All Peoples Church is outspoken in support of “Black Lives Matter,’ the LGBTQ community, and immigrants.
Boys & Girls Club of Dane County has a vision is to inspire and empower all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as responsible and caring adults.
Brewers Community Foundation harnesses the pride, passion, and commitment of Brewers fans, players and other supporters to positively impact the lives of children and their families in Greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
Fondy Farmers Market is a diverse, nationally recognized leader in connecting low-income people with the benefits of farmers’ markets.
Independence-First has a mission to effectively facilitate the empowerment of diverse, multi-cultural individuals with disabilities. Independence-First values inclusion, access, empowerment, and independence for people with disabilities.
Indivisible Tosa takes effective action to make sure that Congress is paying attention to the voters.
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs.
March for Our Lives (Madison and Milwaukee chapters) harnesses the power of young people across the country to fight for sensible gun violence prevention policies that save lives.
Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Inc. strives to build the capacity to address cancer health disparities through community engagement.
Milwaukee Friends Meeting (Quakers) is a witness for peace, equality, simplicity, and justice.
Moms Demand Action/Students Demand Action/Everytown for Gun Safety are fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence.
Northcott Neighborhood House strives to empower families to meet their survival needs and provide good parenting to their children; to provide a safe place for youth as well as recreational and skill-building activities; and to provide the neighborhood with space, activities, and the opportunity to engage in community building and crime prevention.
Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee (SWIM) acts to inspire a dynamic collaboration that heals trauma and creates a resilient community.
Southeast Wisconsin YWCA is an organization dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
WestCare was founded to reclaim, rename, and rebuild the Harambee (meaning “Work Together – Pull Together” in Swahili) Neighborhood.

Gun Violence Prevention Citizen Action Day

August 23, 2019 wave2020 Our Work

We Deserve To Be Heard

The majority of Wisconsin lawmakers have ignored the evidence, ignored their constituents, and ignored the devastation gun violence thrusts into the lives of Wisconsinites. It’s time for us to pack the Capitol full of citizens, who are united in their determination to prevent gun violence.

Citizen Action Day Details:

Deserve To Be Heard on Thursday, October 24th, 2019
9:45am – 10am – Check-in at Bethel Lutheran Church, 312 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison, WI
10am – 12:45pm – Orientation on gun violence in Wisconsin, training on citizen-lobbying best practices, and lunch at Bethel Lutheran Church
1:00pm – 3:00pm – Meetings with your elected officials or their staff members at the Capitol

$15 fee includes your lunch and all training materials.